College football: Only five wins? Here’s a bowl invitation

Couldn’t let this one pass without comment, since it’s both semi-news and complete joke …

For those who missed it, the NCAA recently approved two new bowl games for the 2010 postseason: The New Era Pinstripe Bowl (at Yankee Stadium, of course) and the Dallas Football Classic.

The additions, combined with the collapse of the International Bowl, mean there will be 35 postseason games — that’s 70 slots for 120 FBS teams.

The odds of there being 70 FBS teams with at least a 6-6 record?

Pretty good, it would seem: In each of the past three years, 72 teams had a 6-6 record or better.

But clearly, there isn’t much cushion.

For that reason, the Football Issues Committee (FIC), which approved the new bowls, is discussing the possibility of allowing 5-7 teams to participate if there aren’t enough options at 6-6.

“A what-if case, that’s certainly something that’s currently being discussed: That if you only had 69 teams, what would you do?” Mark Womack, associate commissioner of the SEC and member of the FIC, told the Associated Press earlier this week.

“Those are things that will be discussed over the summer.”

But really, what choice is there?

If 5-7 teams aren’t eligible in dire circumstances, then a bowl (or two) would go dark — and, one could argue, that would be worse because of the blow to the local economy.

If you love the current system, then having 5-7 teams in the postseason might not bother you. It’s all about the opportunity!

If you loathe the current system and want some form of a playoff, then you’ll no doubt view the prospect of 5-7 teams in the postseason as another example — perhaps the ultimate example — of FBS lunacy.